Jinting Han people

By the end of January in the fifth year of Tai'an (306 AD), after more than a month, Liu Xian had basically completed the pacification of Jianwei County.

Although it was unusual for Liu Xian, as the ruler of a faction and having just recovered from a serious illness, to personally pacify the rebels, as it was somewhat risky, Liu Xian knew that the Celestial Masters sect members were essentially ordinary people. They did not possess such strong violence and destructiveness, and there was no need to massacre them, otherwise it would create unnecessary estrangement and wariness between the army and the people.

As for how to appease these religious mobs, there was no other suitable candidate besides him personally resolving the conflicts. After all, as Sun Xiu said, only he was the True Lord of Peace.

In the past, due to Sun Xiu, Liu Xian deeply disliked the Celestial Masters sect, and naturally, he also deeply disliked the title "True Lord of Great Peace." Firstly, he didn't believe in it; secondly, he felt it was a form of cowardice. While it's true that people can hardly control their own destiny, they shouldn't give up self-reliance and entrust their fate to some ethereal divine will. However, during his illness, he realized that this wasn't divine will, but rather the will of the people.

Public opinion is so vast and profound that it may be difficult for an individual to grasp in detail. Just as one cannot capture the breeze on a mountaintop or hold back the setting sun, it certainly exists, just as one can sense the direction of the wind and the warmth of the afterglow. The reasons behind this may be hard to describe, but those who can perceive and utilize the direction of public opinion can become trendsetters of the times.

Therefore, Liu Xian thought that Sun Xiu actually sided with the evil and ignorance of the people's will, which is why he had such destructive power and easily destroyed the authority of the Jin Dynasty. When he lost the support of the people's will, he would appear weak and ridiculous. Similarly, there is also a part of the people's will that is good and benevolent. If he could discover and align with this part, wouldn't many contradictions be easily resolved?
Now it seems the question has been answered.

When Liu Xian led his army to occupy Emei, Li A still harbored thoughts of resistance. However, after even his only son wavered in his opinion, Li A finally realized that the situation was hopeless and there was nothing that could be done about the situation in Jianwei County. He dared not stay in Emei any longer and in mid-January, he led a small number of his confidants to leave Emei and return to Qingcheng to inform Fan Changsheng of the Astronomical Bureau about the matter.

With Li A's departure, Emei Mountain, the largest Taoist sect in Jianwei County, surrendered to Liu Xian. Yan Kang and several other priests voluntarily descended the mountain to Nan'an County to petition Liu Xian for a memorial praising his virtues, addressing him as the True Lord of Peace, and confessing their grave crimes, begging for forgiveness. Liu Xian, as promised, pardoned them all. Then, as previously arranged, he appointed Fu Chang as governor and Zhang Qi as commandant. By late January, the people of Jianwei County had largely returned to their homes and resumed farming.

In handling the aftermath, Liu Xian exerted great effort to discipline his troops, demanding that they maintain strict military discipline, especially those soldiers who had been driven out of Jianwei due to the Celestial Masters Rebellion, strictly forbidding them from seeking revenge privately. At the same time, he also brought most of these mountain gates under his control and reached an agreement: for the time being, the existing order could be maintained, but each mountain gate must accept the presence of personnel sent by the county government, and the supplies within the mountain gates would be subject to the allocation of the government. After Liu Xian unified Liang and Yi, further reorganization would take place.

These measures enabled the Hanzhong army to stabilize Jianwei Commandery, ensuring that logistical supplies were no longer affected by the unrest. This also meant that the southern gateway to Chengdu was once again open to the Hanzhong army.

It should be noted that Luo County serves as a natural barrier to the north of Chengdu, but to the south, Jianwei Commandery is the last remaining bulwark. With Jianwei lost, there are no longer any obstacles between Liu Xian and Chengdu; he can advance unimpeded and directly reach this heart of Sichuan, his hometown and ancestral land.

Chengdu—these two words seemed to possess a magical power. Although Liu Xian had never seen the city, he had known of it since he was old enough to understand. He had heard the name countless times from his elders, and while studying with Chen Shou, he also learned that the city had been the backdrop for the nation's many glories and sorrows over the past century. Those who left Chengdu tried their best to appear ordinary, but in many unintentional moments, they always showed a profound and unforgettable memory, so much so that Liu Xian could not forget it either; he had even vaguely dreamt of this place.

Now, Liu Xian is finally going to witness it with his own eyes.

Having recuperated for so long, Liu Xian had developed a rather deep-seated composure, yet he still couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. So excited that he couldn't help but recall the hardships he had endured throughout his life, the countless near-death experiences, the countless desperate gambles—all seemingly for this day. Those who had left or disappeared in his memory suddenly seemed to come alive before his eyes; those faces that should have been blurred became instantly clear, so clear that Liu Xian already felt he had succeeded, fulfilling their long-cherished wish.

In fact, it wasn't just him; many people had already sensed that this would be a significant and drastically different day. So, in Wuyang, Liu Xian held a special military banquet and, exceptionally, allowed drinking. The elders, led by Lai Zhong, all toasted Liu Xian to offer their congratulations. After drinking about four or five bowls, Li Xiu stepped forward to stop him, saying, "Your Highness, you must take care of your health; you cannot drink any more."

Liu Xian was genuinely happy. He smiled and said, "Then let's drink one last cup. This one is for Miss Li!"

But in reality, Liu Xian was still thinking of her mother. Her mother had been gone for over ten years, and she longed to tell her everything. Her mother was a great woman; she also had a vulnerable side. Having endured countless separations and hardships, her will and emotions had been severely tormented. But her mother didn't curse the tragedy of life; she even hoped to forgive everything, to hope for a brighter future, and she prayed silently for this. She believed that forgiving everything allowed one to gradually become stronger and greater.

When Liu Xian was seriously ill, he actually dreamed of Zhang Ximiao, not Laozi. It was under his mother's guidance that he made this choice.

He silently said to himself, "Mother, thanks to your guidance, much of the chaos has subsided. I am about to go to Chengdu, and I hope you will receive my thoughts." This emotion was reflected on his face in an extremely complex smile. His voice was tinged with a sigh, his eyes held a sense of reminiscence, and the corners of his upturned mouth were tinged with bitterness.

Li Xiu originally wanted to stop him from drinking, but seeing Liu Xian's expression, he was so captivated that it took him a long time to react before he drank the wine that Liu Xian offered him.

After finishing that cup, Liu Xian stopped drinking. After resting in Wuyang for two days, on February 1st, the Hanzhong army officially set off for Chengdu.

North of Wuyang City lies the point where the river divides. It is said that during the Eastern Han Dynasty, a bridge called Anhan Bridge, a mile and a half long, was built here, longer than the bridge over the Luoyang River. However, the bridge was frequently destroyed by the rising summer and autumn floods, requiring annual repairs and causing great hardship for the people. The Shu Han minister Li Yan abolished the bridge and instead built three ferry crossings: Han'an Ferry, Yu Ferry, and Dongju Ferry. From here, Chengdu was only 150 li away. Traveling north along the Pi River for dozens of li, the mountains were ablaze with spring flowers in February, filled with birdsong, a truly enchanting sight. As the mountain path ended, the view opened up dramatically, revealing endless fertile fields, a breathtaking panorama. They had entered the heart of Sichuan, the true land of abundance. Whether they were soldiers who followed Liu Xian south from Guanzhong, veterans of the Han army who had held out for many years and finally emerged from the mountains, or soldiers from other parts of Bashu who had defected, they were all overjoyed. Ultimately, they were all farmers, and they were happy to see good farmland.

Unfortunately, just like when they arrived in Jianwei County, most of the people had been relocated, leaving many houses abandoned and farmland overgrown with weeds. The few remaining people told Liu Xian that most of them had followed the Celestial Masters sect to Qingcheng Mountain, which saddened the soldiers greatly: spring plowing was the most important time of the year, and such good farmland, if not planted with anything, wouldn't it be a waste of nature's bounty?

Fortunately, after Liu Xian's intervention, the soldiers' dissatisfaction with the believers greatly decreased, and they were still able to abide by military discipline. Even though the houses were empty, they did not break in at will. The army marched another hundred li, and finally, on the day of Wuxu in the second month, the Hanzhong army saw the city of Chengdu.

As the former capital of Shu Han, the old city of Chengdu was actually destroyed by fire. However, its city walls and structure still remain. Therefore, the rebuilt Chengdu is still the most magnificent city in Bashu. Under the management of Zhuge Liang, the former prime minister of Shu Han, its layout is one of the most complex in the world.

Its main city layout is similar to that of Luocheng. Chengdu is located on a large island formed by the confluence of the Pijiang and Jinjiang rivers. Its west and south sides are bordered by the river, forming a natural moat. The city is divided into two parts: the western part is the lesser city and the eastern part is the greater city. Eight bridges span the river, connecting the east and south of the city.

Outside the main city were four smaller cities. To the west was Gongguan City, which mainly housed blacksmiths who crafted weapons and armor. To the south, from west to east, were Cheguan City, Jinguan City, and Zhaolie Temple. Cheguan City was used for manufacturing vehicles and managing horses, Jinguan City was responsible for weaving brocade for national use, and Zhaolie Temple was the mausoleum of Emperor Zhaolie, Liu Bei.

At this moment, however, these buildings serve only one purpose: defense.

The situation in Jianwei Commandery had changed so drastically that it was no secret to Li Xiong. He saw that Liu Xian had pacified Jianwei Commandery at a near-bloodless cost, while he himself was still unable to break through the siege of Luocheng. His feelings were truly indescribable: was the foundation that the Li family of Lueyang had built up over three or four years of hard fighting, with more than half of its members sacrificing their lives, still inferior to Liu Xian's bloodline? This feeling made him unwilling to accept defeat, and filled him with fighting spirit.

He refused to admit defeat. When the Li family first rose in rebellion, they only occupied seven or eight fortified villages, yet they still managed to hold out. Now, the Chengdu Kingdom still had over 50,000 troops, the entire city of Chengdu, the support of Qingcheng Mountain, and the Li family's garrison troops in Wenshan and Hanjia counties. Li Xiong didn't believe he was without a chance of victory. He thought: even if he only had one city left, he would fight Liu Xian to the very end. Otherwise, what a joke it would be for the founding emperor to become the ruler of a fallen kingdom in just over a year! He absolutely could not allow it.

Li Xiong thought: But as long as we win this battle and defeat Liu Xian head-on, everything will be different.

With this belief in mind, Li Xiong adjusted his deployment. He used his navy to systematically withdraw the troops from Luocheng, transferring all available troops back to Chengdu. Simultaneously, he constructed extensive earthen ramparts and dug deep trenches both inside and outside Chengdu to resist the Hanzhong army step by step. He also sent a message to Fan Changsheng, hoping he would maintain his original stance and continue to support him. Furthermore, he ordered Xu Yu, the prefect of Wenshan, and Li Ding, the prefect of Hanjia, to entice the various Yi tribes to come east and provide reinforcements.

When the Hanzhong army arrived at the city walls, they were struck by the sheer brilliance of Chengdu's fortifications. Not only were wooden palisades erected on the main city walls, but smaller towns like Jinguan City outside were also fortified with moats five feet deep. Each wooden bridge was preceded and followed by earthen ramparts, beyond which were palisades, and between these palisades stood watchtowers. Furthermore, warships were anchored in the river, ready to be deployed as needed. Seeing this, everyone gasped in astonishment, wondering how many lives would be lost if Chengdu's defenses were to be breached head-on.

Liu Xian, however, was quite interested. He ordered most of his troops to camp fifteen miles south of Chengdu, and then led his cavalry around the city to observe. As he looked around, he kept marveling at the sight. He exclaimed to Lai Zhong, who was accompanying him, "Lord Lai, this Li Zhongjun is really tough! Even in this situation, he still wants to fight me to the death!"

Lai Zhong was overjoyed to see the old capital in sight. He reminisced about the past and casually mocked, "This Li Xiong is nothing but a Di clown who got lucky. In the past, he was not even as good as Chen Tai. How could he compare to Your Highness in terms of skill and martial prowess?"

“Hey, Lord Lai, there’s no need to belittle him like that.” Liu Xian said with a smile, “Li Xiong is a benevolent ruler, a pioneer, courageous and resourceful. What’s most admirable is that he doesn’t get discouraged and can rise to the challenge. That’s the magnanimity to do great things! Compared to me, I’m just less established and lack popularity. If I were from the same background as him, even if I could do a little better, I’m afraid it wouldn’t be by much.”

That being said, realistically speaking, Liu Xian currently holds an absolute advantage. The situation between the two armies is remarkably similar to that of Wu Han against Gongsun Shu during the founding of the Eastern Han Dynasty. He is only one final battle away from destroying this so-called Chengdu Kingdom.

Since Li Xiong voluntarily abandoned Luocheng, Li Ju took the opportunity to occupy the entire territory of Xindu County. He then led the remaining Hanzhong army south to join Liu Xian, and the 80,000-strong army formed a pincer movement from the north and south, completely surrounding Chengdu.

However, Liu Xian did not launch an attack rashly, mainly for three reasons: First, he was concerned that the casualties of the attack might be enormous, and he needed time to plan a proper deployment; second, to attack a large city like Chengdu, he also needed time to build enough siege equipment; and third, in Liu Xian's view, he still needed to have a formal meeting with the local Celestial Masters sect, namely Qingcheng Mountain.

Since the pacification efforts within Jianwei County had been a resounding success, Liu Xian had no reason not to visit Qingcheng Mountain. He could also vaguely guess that a significant reason Li Xiong was still stubbornly resisting was the support of Qingcheng Mountain. If he could persuade Qingcheng Mountain to submit, it would be tantamount to completely severing Chengdu Kingdom's Shu foundation. Without external support, they would have no reason to hold out, and perhaps they could even surrender the city without bloodshed.

To seize this rare opportunity, on the day of Jia Chen in the second month, after the Hanzhong army had completely established a foothold, Liu Xian led his cavalry westward to Dujiangyan and visited Qingcheng Mountain. (End of this chapter)